Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan, India share points as rain plays spoilsport

Rain played spoilsport in the much-awaited blockbuster Asia Cup 2023 clash between Pakistan and India in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on Saturday, meaning that both teams will share a point each.

Rain interrupted India’s innings as well and continued well into the second half of the game, forcing umpires to call off the game after India had set a rather competitive target.

Earlier, fast bowlers shared all 10 wickets among themselves as Pakistan bowled India out for 266 runs in the 49th over.

India struggled after opting to bat first in overcast conditions. The Pakistani pace attack ran rampant early on, taking the top four wickets for just 66 runs inside 15 overs.

Despite early losses, India fought back on the back of an invaluable 138-run stand between Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya.

Both departed for 82 (81) and 87 (90) runs, respectively – giving Pakistan a chance to bounce back.

At one point, India looked well set to cross the 300-run mark, but Pakistan quicks bowled brilliantly in death overs to bundle out them for 266 in 48.5 overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi got four crucial wickets, while Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf bagged three each.

India Innings

• India bowled out for 266 in 48.5 overs.

• WICKET: Naseem gets his third. Removes Bumrah at 16.

FOUR: Bumrah hits Naseem for a four.

Mohammed Siraj walks in.

India - 261/9 - 48.2 overs

• WICKET: Naseem Shah gets his second. He removes Kuldeep Yadav at 4.

India - 261/8 - 48 overs

India - 258/8 - 47 overs

India - 252/8 - 46 overs.

FOUR: Bumrah hits Shaheen for a four.

India - 246/8 - 45 overs.

Jasprit Bumrah walks in.

India - 242/8 - 44.1 overs.

• WICKET: Third wicket in quick succession. Naseem removes Shardul Thakur for 3.

Kuldeep Yadav walks in.

India - 242/7 - 44 overs.

• WICKET: Shaheen gets Jadeja. He departs at 14.

Shardul Thakur walks in.

India - 239/6 - 43.1 overs

• WICKET: Shaheen Afridi removes Hardik Pandya 87.

Another excellent over from Naseem, just two from it.

India - 239/5 - 43 overs.

India - 237/5 - 42 overs.

Hardik moves to 86.

FOUR: Another miss-field at the covers, another four.

India - 230/5 - 41.2 overs.

FOUR: Jadeja pulls Shadab for a boundary - his first in this inning.

India - 226/5 - 41 overs.

India - 221/5 - 40 overs.

FOUR: Pandya takes charge. He pulls this one for the third boundary of the over. He moves to 80.

India - 217/5 - 39.2 overs.

FOUR: Back-to-back borders.

FOUR: Pandya cuts Haris Rauf for a four.

India - 209/5 - 39 overs.

India - 204/5 - 38 overs.

India - 204/5 - 38 overs

• WICKET: Haris Rauf removes dangerous-looking Ishan Kishan. He departs for an invaluable 82.

India - 203/4 - 37 overs.

• 200 up for India.

SIX: This time, Hardik Pandya sweeps Nawaz for a maximum.

FOUR: Kishan pulls it for a four.

India - 187/4 - 36 overs.

India - 183/4 - 35 overs.

India - 178/4 - 34 overs.

• Hardik Pandya gets to his 50 in 62 balls.

India - 168/4 - 33 overs

• 100-run partnership between Kishan and Pandya.

India - 156/4 - 31 overs.

India - 149/4 - 30 overs.

India - 147/4 - 29 overs.

FOUR: Shaheen fumbles this for a four.

• Ishan Kishan gets to his 50 off 54 balls.

India - 140/4 - 28 overs.

India 135/4 - 27 overs.

India 134/4 - 26 overs.

FOUR: Kishan drives Nawaz through extra cover for a four. He moves to 47.

India 127/4 - 25 overs.

FOUR: Pandya half-pulls Shaheen for a boundary.

India 121/4 - 24 overs.

India 117/4 - 23 overs

India 108/4 - 21 overs

India 89/4 - 17 overs

FOUR: Ishan flicks Haris off the hips for a four. He is on fire.

Another big over for India. 11 runs from it.

India 83/4 - 16 overs

FOUR: Another full toss. Another boundary for Kishan.

FOUR: Kishan drills a juicy full toss for a four.

India 72/4 - 15 overs

FOUR: A fumble by Naseem Shah gives Hardik his first boundary.

Hardik Pandya walks in.

India 64/4 - 14.1 overs.

• WICKET: Haris Rauf gets his second. He clean bowls Shubman Gill.

India 58/3 - 12 overs.

Six: Ishan upper-cuts Haris for a maximum.

India 58/3 - 11 overs.

Ishan Kishan walks in.

India - 48/3 - 10 overs

• WICKET: Haris Rauf gets his man. Shreyas Iyer departs for 14.

FOUR: Shubman Gill flicks Haris for a four. His first in 20 balls.

India - 42/2 - 9 overs

Maiden over for Shaheen.

India - 42/2 - 8 overs

12 runs from the over. It’s an expensive one for Pakistan.

FOUR: Iyer sends Haris for another four.

FOUR: Shreyas Iyer scores his first boundary.

Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill at the crease.

India - 30/2 - 7 overs

• WICKET: Shaheen bowls Virat Kohli. He departs for 4.

India - 26 /1 - 6 overs.

FOUR: Kohli opens his account with an elegant cover drive to Naseem.

India - 15 /1 - 5 overs.

• WICKET: Shaheen clean bowls Rohit Sharma for 11.

India - 15 /0 - 4 overs.

India - 14 /0 - 3 overs.

FOUR: Rohit flicks Shaheen for another four.

India - 9/0 - 2 overs.

India - 6/0 - 1 over.

FOUR: Rohit flicks it for a four. First boundary for India.

Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma at the crease.

India XI:

Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Pakistan XI:

Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.